Penns Hall

Penns Hall is a historic property on Penns Lane in Walmley, Sutton Coldfield, Birmingham, England. Although it has sometimes been treated as a hotel name or hospitality brand, the subject is principally a historic building and estate whose uses have changed substantially over time. The property is associated with Penns Mills, an industrial site that developed around water-powered milling and later wire manufacture before the estate was converted to hospitality use. The site’s documented industrial history reaches back to at least 1618, when John Penn was operating two water mills in Sutton Coldfield. One mill was used for corn milling and another for blade sharpening. By the eighteenth century, the Presbyterian Webster family had become connected with the property. Around 1750, Joseph Webster acquired the lease of the Penns Mills, which by 1776 included a house, two adjoining dwellings, a wire mill and a fulling mill. Webster and his son Joseph expanded wire-drawing operations and took on additional premises at Plants Mill and Hints Forge. The younger Joseph later built workers’ cottages near the mills in 1812. By the nineteenth century, Penns Hall had developed into a substantial mansion connected to an important local industrial enterprise. In 1851, Joseph Webster was employing 105 men and 43 boys at the mills and farming approximately 30 acres. His brother, Baron Dickinson Webster, was a prominent local figure who served as a justice of the peace and held several civic and business roles. He was involved in discussions concerning railway routes through Sutton Coldfield and was associated with the manufacture of wire. A blue plaque installed at the hall in 1998 commemorates his involvement in the first transatlantic telegraph cable. The industrial business entered a period of restructuring in the mid-nineteenth century. In 1855, the Webster business was merged with the Horsfall business at Hay Mills in Birmingham. Four years later, the operations were transferred to Hay Mills and Penns Mills closed. The closure had serious consequences for workers and for the local economy around Walmley. After the death of Joseph Webster in 1860, Penns Hall was acquired by James Horsfall in 1865. His son Henry was resident there in 1891. The property changed direction after the Second World War. It was sold to Ansells in 1947, and Ansells converted the building into a hotel in 1950. In later years it operated as a hotel and country club, and it was associated with Ramada International. The complex also held a licence for civil marriages and civil partnerships, making it available for ceremonial and event use in addition to accommodation, leisure and conference functions. Penns Hall gained a distinctive place in British popular culture during the 1980s, when its exterior was used for filming the television soap opera Crossroads. The real property stood in for the fictional Crossroads Motel, later presented in the programme as the Kings Oak Country Hotel. Parts of the entrance and conference facilities were dressed to resemble the fictional motel, while views of hotel rooms overlooking Penns Lake appeared in the programme’s closing credits. The estate includes grounds through which Plants Brook flows. A long pool created by damming the brook, known as Penns Lake, remains an important physical feature. The lake is now used for carp fishing and is operated by Fosters Fisheries. The building is locally listed as Grade B. At the time described by the reference material, the complex was closed to the public because it was being used to accommodate asylum seekers. The available material does not establish a current trading status, ownership structure, or operating brand arrangement.

Penns Hall developed from an estate associated with Penns Mills, a water-powered industrial site in Sutton Coldfield. In 1618, John Penn was recorded as operating two mills in the area, one for corn milling and another for blade sharpening. The property later became connected with the Webster family, a Presbyterian family involved in industrial activity in Birmingham and the surrounding region. Around 1750, Joseph Webster acquired the additional lease of Penns Mills. By 1776, the property comprised a house and two dwellings alongside a wire mill and a fulling mill. Joseph Webster and his son Joseph expanded wire drawing at the site and acquired further premises at Plants Mill and Hints Forge. The younger Joseph also built workers’ cottages near the mills in 1812, reflecting the scale of the enterprise and its dependence on a local industrial workforce. By the nineteenth century, Penns Hall was a substantial mansion. Joseph Webster, born in 1815, was operating a sizeable industrial and agricultural concern by the 1851 census, employing 105 men and 43 boys at the mills while farming about 30 acres. His brother Baron Dickinson Webster held a number of civic positions, including justice of the peace, and was involved in local affairs and railway negotiations. His business interests included wire manufacture, and a blue plaque installed in 1998 commemorated his participation in the development of the first transatlantic telegraph cable. The Penns Mills business was reorganised in 1855 through a merger with Horsfall’s operation at Hay Mills in Birmingham. In 1859 the combined business was transferred to Hay Mills, resulting in the closure of Penns Mills. The shutdown had substantial effects on local employment and the economy of Walmley. Joseph Webster died in 1860, and James Horsfall acquired Penns Hall in 1865. Henry Horsfall, James’s son, was resident at the property in 1891. A major change came after the Second World War. Ansells bought the property in 1947 and converted it into a hotel in 1950. It subsequently operated as a hotel and country club and was associated with Ramada International. The venue also offered conference and ceremonial functions, including licensed facilities for civil marriages and civil partnerships. During the 1980s, Penns Hall became widely recognisable through its use as an exterior filming location for Crossroads. The building represented the fictional Crossroads Motel, later known as the Kings Oak Country Hotel. The production adapted parts of the real site to resemble the fictional property, and views across the hotel rooms and Penns Lake were used in the programme’s closing credits. The grounds contain Plants Brook, a tributary of the River Tame, and Penns Lake, a long pool formed by damming the brook. The lake is now used for carp fishing under the operation of Fosters Fisheries. Penns Hall is a Grade B locally listed building and remains significant for its combination of industrial, architectural and popular-cultural history. The reference material describes the complex as closed to the public because it was being used to house asylum seekers, but it does not establish its current ownership, commercial status or future use.

• 1998

  Blue plaque installed

  [1]Penns Hallen.wikipedia.org

  A blue plaque was erected by the Sutton Coldfield Civic Society to recognise Baron Dickinson Webster’s involvement with the first transatlantic telegraph cable.

• 1980

  Crossroads filming association

  [1]Penns Hallen.wikipedia.org

  The property was used for exterior filming of Crossroads, representing the fictional Crossroads Motel and later the Kings Oak Country Hotel.

• 1950

  Conversion to hotel

  [1]Penns Hallen.wikipedia.org

  Ansells converted Penns Hall into a hotel.

• 1947

  Ansells acquired the property

  [1]Penns Hallen.wikipedia.org

  The estate was sold to Ansells, preceding its conversion into a hotel.

• 1865

  Penns Hall acquired by James Horsfall

  [1]Penns Hallen.wikipedia.org

  James Horsfall bought the property after the death of Joseph Webster.

• 1859

  Penns Mills closed

  [1]Penns Hallen.wikipedia.org

  The merged business was transferred to Hay Mills and the Penns Mills operation shut down.

• 1855

  Webster and Horsfall businesses merged

  [1]Penns Hallen.wikipedia.org

  The Webster business was merged with Horsfall’s operation at Hay Mills in Birmingham.

• 1851

  Large industrial workforce recorded

  [1]Penns Hallen.wikipedia.org

  Joseph Webster was recorded as employing 105 men and 43 boys at the mills and farming approximately 30 acres.

• 1812

  Workers’ cottages built

  [1]Penns Hallen.wikipedia.org

  Joseph Webster built cottages beside the mills for workers associated with the expanding industrial operation.

• 1776

  Industrial estate described

  [1]Penns Hallen.wikipedia.org

  The property included a house, two dwellings, a wire mill and a fulling mill known as Penns Mills.

• 1750

  Webster family connection begins

  [1]Penns Hallen.wikipedia.org

  Joseph Webster acquired the additional lease of Penns Mills and developed the site’s industrial activities.

• 1618

  Penns Mills documented

  [1]Penns Hallen.wikipedia.org

  John Penn was operating two water mills in Sutton Coldfield, used for corn milling and blade sharpening.

A historic country-house hospitality and events venue distinguished by its industrial heritage, landscaped grounds, Penns Lake and association with the television series Crossroads.

• Hotel accommodation · 1950

  Penns Hall hotel accommodation

  Following its conversion by Ansells in 1950, Penns Hall operated as a hotel in a historic country-house setting. The available material does not specify the number of rooms, room categories, rates or current availability. Hotel rooms overlooking Penns Lake were visible in Crossroads closing-credit footage.

• Leisure and hospitality

  Penns Hall country club

  The property later operated as a country club alongside its hotel function. Its grounds, historic architecture and lake formed part of the venue’s leisure identity. Specific membership arrangements, facilities and operating dates are not identified in the reference material.

• Events and ceremonies

  Penns Hall conference and ceremony venue

  Penns Hall provided conference facilities and was licensed for civil marriages and civil partnerships. Some of the conference-entrance areas were adapted for Crossroads exterior scenes. Detailed event packages and current licensing status are not available in the supplied sources.

• Fishing and leisure

  Penns Lake fishing venue

  Penns Lake is a long pool created by damming Plants Brook in the grounds of Penns Hall. It is used for carp fishing and is operated by Fosters Fisheries. The lake is a site feature rather than a hotel product owned or branded by Penns Hall.

• 1980

  Property used as a television filming locationOther

  Background

  The television soap opera Crossroads required exterior imagery for its fictional motel and later country hotel.

  Action taken

  Penns Hall’s exterior, entrance and views over Penns Lake were used to portray the fictional property.

  Aftermath

  The filming gave Penns Hall a lasting association with Crossroads and made the building recognisable to the programme’s audience.

  Source

• 1950

  Conversion from country estate to hotelStrategy

  Background

  After Ansells acquired Penns Hall in 1947, the historic property was repurposed for post-war hospitality use.

  Action taken

  Ansells converted the property into a hotel.

  Aftermath

  Penns Hall later operated as a hotel and country club, with conference and civil-ceremony facilities.

  Source

1. 1Penns Hallen.wikipedia.org